20/20 (2021)

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or more than a year, we have been confined to our studios and homes, concentrating on our projects and getting prepared for Senior Open Studios. We have been affixed to the looking glass of endless screen time as it replaced face-to-face interactions with friends, family, mentors and our communities. To add to the distress, we have experienced reports and images of explosive civil unrest and hate crimes in the United States, exposing our democratic institutions to destabilizing threats. We have gone through the most viral global pandemic since the outbreak of the Spanish flu and have felt the temperature rise on America’s cold civil war. Our emotions have swayed between fear, anxiety, loneliness, exhaustion and numbing depression. Yet, despite these severe drawbacks and uncertainties, we have remained steadfast. The works pictured here speak to the level of commitment each student has shown under these exceptional circumstances. The many themes we face in society at this current moment in time are, as always, reflected in art: racial injustice, gender inequality, man-made and natural disasters, climate change, social isolation, as well as technological advances and indelible memories of other times. Through the use of myriad materials such as paint on canvas, silkscreen, drawing, etching, ceramics, video and the digital arts, photography, wood, metal and even living organisms, our graduating seniors have converted their homes into studios, their kitchens into laboratories

and their backyards into performance spaces. With an ability to improvise and work with what is available, we have optimized and transformed space and materials. Despite limited social interaction, we have nevertheless created outstanding work. As the emergence of light slips beyond darkening skies, liquid rainbows appear in our minds, heralding in a return to what we may expect to experience as a new normal, whatever that may be. The arts and their institutions have endured much during the past 14 months, but like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, our lives will be changed as we move on to new endeavors as creative beings. As we have well learned, we are all in this together, where geographic boundaries are mute to the swiftly evolving conditions of the natural world and our embeddedness in it. The world is a skin, a sheath, and we are just temporary organisms living within it. Let us move forward towards peace and justice for all creatures and remember that creativity is a salve to a damaged planet and our consciousness—but let us not forget that the salve must be applied. Best wishes and deep congratulations to you all, on behalf of the faculty, staff and administration. We wish you our deep congratulations. We will never forget the courage you have displayed. Until then, Suzanne Anker, Chair BFA Fine Arts Department 3

A Return to I

n John Dewey’s seminal text, Art as Experience, he discusses a triangular relationship between three components of art making and experiencing art. In one corner, we have the artist and all her/his/their curated experiences that inform the work. No matter how much an artist tries to avoid these experiences appearing in the work, this is practically impossible. Consciously avoiding these manifestations (based on empirical knowledge) creates a counterbalance that still reflects those experiences. Even attempts by conceptual artists like Lee Olfan to disassociate himself from his work come close, but not entirely, because of his role as creator. The conceptual implications are valuable fodder for discussions and subsequent bodies of work, as well as the concentric effects those bodies of work can have. In another corner, there is the work itself. The embodiment of ideas made manifest, that is, materials manipulated to form a defiant entity. No matter the level of subtlety, like Pinocchio to Geppetto, compelling artwork kicks its creator and anyone else encountered from its undeniable intensity. In essence, the work is made whole and graces the world with its bold and recalcitrant attitude. It no longer needs help, no matter how it is or may be perceived. In the third corner, we have the audience—those like myself, who come across the work. The artist has no control over the empirical knowledge brought to the table by the public. Although the audience doesn’t necessarily need to be considered, these differing experiential views can shed new light on the work, even ones that may not have been anticipated or intended. These triangular components have a symbiotic relationship, which points to a problem if the artist is arbitrary in the artmaking process, unless this is expressly part of the scope of her/her/their practice. Arbitrary approaches usually result in work that is not memorable beyond a few seconds of experiencing it because there are no olive branches for connections. The arbitrary most often comes in the form of not being able to recognize influences. Such an artist is not digging in and doing the introspective work required to make art that is tight in execution. If the artwork is timely in conceptual prop4 • twenty/twenty

erties and thus gleans the potential to stand the test of time, it is informed by its place in the continuum of art history. These are all somewhat lofty goals but can be a particular challenge to young artists as a result of not having the experience to make those necessary connections. There has never been a more opportune time for a recalibration of most things including artmaking. It remains to be seen what the other side of this tunnel of worldwide crisis will look like. COVID-19 brought us an unanticipated shift. What is it to experience art within this paradigm shift? How do we make work within this shift? What are these young folks facing? How will tactile and cognitive connections be made within this new digital era that has been thrust upon us? I strongly believe that Art with a capital A is about community. It is about bringing people together that may not have come together otherwise despite the age-old notion of the master artist slaving away in the studio. Our forced digital era coupled by isolation that we had not seen in any of our lifetimes will result in shifts that have not yet fully manifested or that can be predicted. This social isolation has challenged our notion of community in general. However, one of the advantages of attending art school is to belong to a network fostering a dialogue with other aspiring artists: to look at classmates’ work, exchange ideas, talk about materials and techniques. Experiencing art offline specifically brings a more refined engagement with pre-COVID art. Like any other generation that has faced adversity, this one has and will continue to shift. What post-COVID art will look like continues to develop before our eyes. These students are giving us early signs of what the art world and beyond will look like in the coming years. We need only to look back at the last worldwide pandemic, the Spanish flu, and the art that proceeded those years (1918-20). Movements such as Dada, Surrealism and Expressionism emerged. We can’t forget that the Spanish flu years were at the tail end of World War I. Nonetheless, it is hard to compartmentalize the paradigm shift that occurred in the form of intense questioning of what was considered conventional art

o Sincerity at the time and the ushering in of abstraction to avoid reality or expand it. The cynical and abject were charged with recalibrating aesthetic value at that time. We had seen this before in response to great plague and war. What will this worldwide crisis bring in its tail end? Many of these challenges come in waves, and we certainly are not immune to those complexities today. It has become cliché to poke fun at younger generations, but this younger generation and its artists are tasked with a seemingly insurmountable challenge. In addition to the pandemic, no one needs reminders of the vitriol and apparent dissolution in our political systems, no matter what side of the aisle you might fall on. Add to this the social unrest of the summer of 2020. The Black Lives Matter movement, precipitated by several senseless murders, took full force, while hateful rhetoric and systemic violence against Asian Americans were on the rise. One would think the outcome of art by emerging artists, such as the recent graduates of the School of Visual Arts BFA program, would be of blight but it is quite to the contrary, and why not? Inequities, injustice and subsequent underreactions were exposed. I don’t have enough space in these pages to list the problems of the world, but a call to action has been made. And if gauged through the eyes of our 20/20 SVA artists, it is that of vision, hope and defiance in the face of adversity. These 20 artists chosen to be part of the 20/20 catalog in 2021 represent a new sense of community and engagement. These artists are challenging Dewey’s notions of “art as experience” and reinventing what was taken away from them and all of us. Most of all, they are giving us a much-needed return to sincerity. —Angel Abreu, faculty member; curator, 20/20 catalog

Shiding Chen

Untitled (Copper Plate 2) • 2021 • Digital rendering • Image courtesy of the artist

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Shiding Chen

Untitled (Brass Bar 1) • 2021 • Digital rendering • Image courtesy of the artist

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Untitled (Brass Bar 2) • 2021 • Digital rendering • Image courtesy of the artist

Shiding Chen

Untitled (Dots 1) • 2021 • Digital rendering • Image courtesy of the artist

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Untitled (Dots 2) • 2021 • Digital rendering • Image courtesy of the artist

Zihan Chen

Enscape Series • 2018 • Clay, fabric, metal, plastic, marble • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist

Mars Project • 2021 • Paper, stone, sand • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist

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Recorder • 2020 • Wood, wax • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist

Zihan Chen

Fluctuation City • 2021 • Wire net, plastic tube, plastic plants, miniature model buildings • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist

Fluctuation City (detail) • 2021 • Wire net, plastic tube, plastic plants, miniature model buildings • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist

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Recorder • 2020 • Wood, wax • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist

Abby Helms

Self Portrait on My Birthday • 2020 • Oil on canvas • 12x12" • Image courtesy of the artist

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Cherry Blossom I • 2020 • Oil on watercolor paper • 12x10" • Image courtesy of the artist

Abby Helms

Before The Four Of Us • 2020 • Oil on unstretched canvas • 29x47" • Image courtesy of the artist

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Till You Arrive • 2020 • Oil on watercolor paper • 12x16" • Image courtesy of the artist

Abby Helms

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The American Dream • 2020 • Oil on canvas • 42x65.5" • Image courtesy of the artist

Ryan Cosbert

Ode To Claudette Colvin • 2021 • Acrylic and newsprint on canvas • 60×52" • Image courtesy of the artist

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Anguish and Distress • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 60×52" • Image courtesy of the artist

Ryan Cosbert

Mysticism (detail) • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 72×72" • Image courtesy of the artist

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The only difference between you and me is you were brought here by force • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 72×72" • Image courtesy of the artist

Ryan Cosbert

Georgetown • 2021 • Acrylic on wood panel • 23" • Image courtesy of the artist

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Port Au Prince • 2021 • Acrylic on wood panel • 23" • Image courtesy of the artist

Srishti Dass

Installation view • 2021 • Image courtesy of the artist

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Srishti Dass

Vibrations • 2021 • Colored pencil on paper • 27×36" • Image courtesy of the artist

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Point of View • 2021 • Colored pencil on paper • 27×36" • Image courtesy of the artist

Srishti Dass

Micro/Macro • 2021 • Colored pencil on paper • 27×24" • Image courtesy of the artist

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Mannat • 2021 • Colored pencil and gold leaf on paper • 24×27" • Image courtesy of the artist

Darius Dyson

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Untitled Collage • 2021 • Acrylic and screenprint on canvas • 12 panels, 30×32" • Image courtesy of the artist

Darius Dyson

Cautious Man • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 54×66" • Image courtesy of the artist

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Untitled • 2021 • Acrylic and screenprint on canvas • 30×32" • Image courtesy of the artist

Darius Dyson

Creation of Evil • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 58×86" • Image courtesy of the artist

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Kobe • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 50×38" • Image courtesy of the artist

Nadia Fediv

Capricorn Rising On a Razor Scooter • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 40×40" • Image courtesy of the artist

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A Juice Box Always Keeps the Doctor Away • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 24×24" • Image courtesy of the artist

Nadia Fediv

Nadia Belokon • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 22×22" • Image courtesy of the artist

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1 Sheep. . . 2 Sheep. . . 3 Sheep. . . Sleep • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 24×24" • Image courtesy of the artist

Ode to Claudette Colvin • 2021 • Acrylic and newsprint on canvas • 60×52" • Image courtesy of the artist 43

Lanyi Gao

Pai Fang/Stealth Kidnapping • 2021 • Resin, metal • 9×9×9" • Image courtesy of the artist

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Pai Fang/Stealth Kidnapping • 2021 • Resin, metal • 9×9×9" • Image courtesy of the artist

Lanyi Gao

Pai Fang/Stealth Kidnapping • 2021 • Digital rendering, resin, metal • Image courtesy of the artist

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Woman • 2020 • Multiple, bamboo, metal, wood, silicone, hair • D4×H10", 12×2×2" • Image courtesy of the artist

Take off • 2020 • Gold foil on PLA • 1.5×1.5×4" each • Image courtesy of the artist

Bree Gore

Facing History • 2021 • Digital collage on canvas • 80×85" • Photo by Raul Valverde

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Facing History • 2021 • Digital collage on canvas • 80×85" • Photo by Raul Valverde

Bree Gore

Facing History • 2021 • Digital collage on canvas • 80×85" • Photo by Raul Valverde 50 • twenty/twenty

Facing History (detail) • 2021 • Digital collage on canvas • 80×85" • Photo by Raul Valverde

Antonia-Marie Kim

To Carry Bodies You Barely Know (155.3 miles) • 2021 • Steel, wire ripe, aluminum wire, plexiglass, embossed faux leather • 62×85×96" • Image courtesy of the artist

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To Unwind • 2017 • Nails, thread, plexiglass on Styrofoam • 8×41×72" • Image courtesy of the artist

Antonia-Marie Kim

Untitled (installation view) • 2021 • Prescription pills, bottles, fabric, vellum, paper, coat hangers, acrylic, plexiglass, wood • Dimensions variable • Photo by Gustavo Murillo

Untitled (detail) • 2021 • Prescription pills, bottles, fabric, vellum, paper, coat hangers, acrylic, plexiglass, wood • Dimensions variable • Photo by Gustavo Murillo

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Made in South Korea • 2019–2021 • Inkjet print on silk habotai and wood • 19×30×32" • Image courtesy of the artist

Made in South Korea (detail) • 2019-2021 • Inkjet print on silk habotai and wood • 19×30×32" • Image courtesy of the artist 55

Songmee Lee

Free Spirited • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 16×20" • Image courtesy of the artist

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I am what I am • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 16×20" • Image courtesy of the artist

Untitled • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 16×20" • Image courtesy of the artist

Songmee Lee

Series 1 • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 24×28.5" • Image courtesy of the artist

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The end of the festival • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 23.5×28.5" • Image courtesy of the artist

Aynsley Leonardis

Beatlemania (installation view) • 2021 • Image courtesy of the artist

Beatlemania • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 24×30" • Image courtesy of the artist 60 • twenty/twenty

Beatlemania II • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 24×30" • Image courtesy of the artist

Beatlemania III • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 24×30" • Image courtesy of the artist

Aynsley Leonardis

N/A • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 36×48" • Image courtesy of the artist

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I Know How Joan of Arc Felt • 2021 • Aluminum jump rings, pin back buttons • 16.5×7×12" • Image courtesy of the artist

Jiaqi Li

Is there still a possibility? • 2021 • Digital photograph • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist

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Is there still a possibility? • 2021 • Digital photograph • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist

Jiaqi Li

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A Path Connecting Reality and Dream • 2021 • Installation • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist

Jiaqi Li

Scene • 2021 • Digital photograph of Multi-media Installation • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist

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The World is Yours (Installation view) • 2021 • Installation • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist

FUNERAL • 2020 • Installation • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist

Yizhi Liu

2:00:00 AM • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 40×64" • Image courtesy of the artist

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Mirror • 2021 • Acrylic on wood • 36×48" • Image courtesy of the artist

Yizhi Liu

The Meal • 2021 • Fabric, cotton, resin, plastic, acrylic, metal • 12×12" • Image courtesy of the artist

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NO. 1 • 2020 • Resin, toys, acrylic • 5×5" • Image courtesy of the artist

Yizhi Liu

Dried Fish • 2020 • Video game screen recording • 8:59 minutes • Image courtesy of the artist

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James Meyer

Memory Landscape (installation view) • 2021 • Glass, steel, plexiglass, resin, florescent light, LED lights, liquid, 3D printing • 108×108×108" • Image courtesy of the artist

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Snow-globe group • 2020 • Glass, liquid, resin, 3D prints • Image courtesy of the artist

Girl by car window • 2020 • Ink on mylar, lightbox • 24×30×3" • Image courtesy of the artist 77

James Meyer

Relic 1; Dormant Memory • 2021 • Glass, liquid, resin, 3D print • 12×12×13" • Image courtesy of the artist

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Clock • 2020 • Ink on mylar, lightbox • 24×30×3" • Image courtesy of the artist

Wolf • 2020 • Ink on mylar, lightbox • 24×30×3" • Image courtesy of the artist

Matthew Perez

16th St. Altarpiece (installation view) • 2021 • House paint, vinyl paint, acrylic paint, oil on canvas and wood • 95.5×85.75×108.75" • Photo by Raul Valverde

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Is that you? • 2021 • Oil on wood • 6×6" • Image courtesy of the artist

Matthew Perez

Nommo (detail) • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 54×20" • Image courtesy of the artist

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Yuruga (detail) • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 54×20" • Image courtesy of the artist

Farwah Rizvi

Studio installation (Centerpiece: The Dunce, 2020) • 2021 • Oil and gold leaf on canvas, wood, vanity string lights, acrylic paint • Photo by Joseph Tekippe 84 • twenty/twenty

Farwah Rizvi

Untitled • 2020 • Oil and gold leaf on canvas and house paint • 20×32" • Image courtesy of the artist

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Work From Home (Virtual Isolation series) • 2020 • Ballpoints and markers on paper • 6.5×8.5" • Image courtesy of the artist

Farwah Rizvi

Two Demons Fighting Over a Paper Towel • 2020 • Oil and gold leaf on wood, vinyl paint and house paint • 22×28" • Image courtesy of the artist 88 • twenty/twenty

Arghan Dev with Corona • 2021 • Oil on canvas, wooden frame with bottle caps, vinyl paint, house paint • 65.5×44" • Photo by Raul Valverde

Arghan Dev with Corona (detail) • 2021 • Oil on canvas, wooden frame with bottle caps, vinyl paint, house paint • 65.5×44" • Photo by Raul Valverde 89

Sophia Santella

Installation view • 2021 • Photo by Raul Valverde

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No Justice • 2021 • Digital photograph • Image courtesy of the artist

Installation floor painting • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • Photo by Raul Valverde

No Connection • 2021 • digital photograph • Image courtesy of the artist

Sophia Santella

Eyes Open • 2020 • digital photograph • Image courtesy of the artist

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Pink Girl • 2020 • Digital photograph • Image courtesy of the artist

Lidia Tomaj

Installation view • 2021 • Image courtesy of the artist

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Untitled • 2021 • Photograph, print, light fixture and wood • 9.25×13" • Image courtesy of the artist

Untitled, Fatberg and Faucet (installation view) • 2021 • Photograph, print, foam, metal, glass, resin and pigment • Image courtesy of the artist

Faucet • 2021 • Metal, pipes, mesh, glass • 8×23" • Image courtesy of the artist

Lidia Tomaj

Untitled • 2020 • Digital print • 36×24" • Image courtesy of the artist

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Untitled • 2020 • Digital print • 36×24" • Image courtesy of the artist

Qinxi Yu

Seize • 2020 • Foam, newspaper, ecopoxy glass, fake grass, faucet, video • 30×12×30" • Image courtesy of the artist

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As We Start II • 2020 • HTML game • Image courtesy of the artist

Qinxi Yu

Escape • 2019 • Foam, fake grass, ecopoxy glass, newspaper • 30×6.5×30" • Image courtesy of the artist

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Labyrinth • 2020 • Foam, mosaic, plastic, timer • 30×21×30" • Image courtesy of the artist

Her Stacked Back Disappeared in the Long Journey • 2021 • Mosaic tiles, tree branch, video, plastic bicycle backseat • 74×52×15" • Image courtesy of the artist

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twenty/twenty Cover artwork by Srishti Dass Inside cover artwork by Bree Gore

A Note from the Chair

Essay by Angel Abreu

Curator’s Choices Shiding Chen

Zihan Chen

Abby Helms

Ryan Cosbert

Srishti Dass

Darius Dyson

Nadia Fediv

Lanyi Gao

Bree Gore

Antonia-Marie Kim

Songmee Lee

Aynsley Leonardis

Jiaqi Li

Yizhi Liu

James Meyer

Matthew Perez

Farwah Rizvi

Sophia Santella

Lidia Tomaj

Qinxi Yu

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BFA Fine Arts: About the Program Honors Shiding Chen Zihan Chen Abby Helms Ryan Cosbert Srishti Dass Darius Dyson Lanyi Gao Antonia-Maria Kim Jiaqi Li Yizhi Liu James Meyer Soyoung Park Farwah Rizvi Qinxi Yu Thesis Award Matthew Perez Rhodes Family Awards Zihao Chen Kun Kyung Sok Pamela Brown Roberts Memorial Scholarship Songmee Lee Society of Scribes Award Kun Kyung Sok

From figure studies to cutting-edge conceptual approaches, our department prepares the fine arts student to enter a myriad of professions and graduate programs. Courses in art history and contemporary art theory inform creative approaches to diverse aesthetic practices. In addition to traditional media, SVA offers experimental practices in digital sculpture and the emerging field of bio-art The Fine Arts Department at the School of Visual Arts is unique. At SVA , the fine arts student can choose an individualized course of study. Our new Fine Arts Digital Lab hosts private workstations equipped with up-to-the-minute software and instruction. Our digital sculpture initiative boasts computer-driven cutting machines for fabricating sculpture. Painting classes include projects in direct observation or photo-based imagery as well as methods for producing abstract and narrative work. Our faculty consists of professional artists, critics and curators whose work has achieved both national and international recognition. In addition, the Fine Arts Department sponsors many events and field trips to museums, galleries and artists’ studios to prepare the student for professional-level experience in the arts. With Chelsea’s art scene at our back door, students stay tuned in to art history in the making. Networking opportunities inside and outside SVA prepare our students for job placements and career development. For example, you might land a studio job assisting an instructor or a visiting artist, which could become access to a gallery, which could lead to your first show. In senior year, we invite gallery dealers and curators to open-studio events which showcase your work. It is a twice-yearly chance for you to make important networking connections. In addition, we focus on all avenues of creative production. Our alumni have worked at top art museums, animation studios, education venues, art therapy practices, public art and other allied professions. You have access to more than 90 instructors in the studio art department; a number unmatched in size and excellence anywhere else. These artists of stature are a vital part of the New York creative scene, whose work you can see in the galleries, museums and even the public spaces of the city. Connect with the ones who inspire and support your creative efforts —the artists you gravitate toward will act as your mentors and help you achieve your artistic goals. Becoming a fine artist in New York City is to see and feel the fluent dynamics of creation as an interchange of ideas and visual experiences supporting your creative talents now and in the future.

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